*Treatment stage* Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

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Waka
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*Treatment stage* Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

Hi all,

After getting almost all my design together with lots of help from the forums, (Design thread here: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... =1&t=21057), I've actually started construction! 8)

So this thread will document my progress.

So I started with a concrete slab that I had laid in my garden at a time when I wanted to do a brick built studio. After working through my design and comparing costs though, I scrapped that plan and switched to timber frame. I also decided that the original slab just wasn't gonna cut it and wanted it bigger! :lol:

So my first job with the help of my father (semi-retired builder) has been to extend that slab.

I've dug and filled new foundations and today we finished blocking and bricking up to damp proof height.
foundations bricked to dpc.jpg
Next job is to back fill to ground level and fill the new area with hardcore, then insulation and membrane ready to pour the concrete. I've raised the height of the damp proof by about 50mm so we will pour a smooth new continuous layer of concrete over the existing concrete, for a nice level floor.

I also decided against the engineering bricks I used on the original slab as I'm going to be shot-firing the timber frame sole plates directly into the bricks, so switched to concrete bricks. I'll render from ground level to dpc height and paint it to make it look the same all around
Last edited by Waka on Sat Dec 07, 2019 7:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
Waka
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

Hardcore filled and compacted, sand blinding added.
1000ga Waterproof membrane fitted.
Under concrete floor insulation added.
ready for concrete.jpg
Next jobs:
Clean original slab.
PVA surface.
Pour concrete into wall trenches.
Wall trench.jpg
Pour floor finish slab.

Then the slab is ready! 8)

Dan
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
Waka
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

Updates!
20171114_123819_crop_1125x713-1113x705.jpg
Will update soon

Dan
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
Soundman2020
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Soundman2020 »

Progress! Maybe you should post the complete studio design, for double-checking, before getting too far along with the build...

Also, I noted the double sole plates: Unusual. Nothing wrong with that, for sure, but I'm wondering why. Is that a local code requirement?

I also noted that there's a gap in the double top plate over the doorway, which is unusual... I'm assuming that will be fixed shortly, with some type of oversize header?

- Stuart -
Waka
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

Hi Stuart,

Sorry I didn't see your reply!
The double sole plate is for practical construction reasons. Bolt the sole plate in place first all the way round, then build wall panels in sections on the floor, stand them up on top of the sole plates (drill holes to slot over the bolts) and just nail the bottom rail to the sole plate.

Yeah above the door I need to put a 150mm sistered double lintel, but I hadn't got that wood yet ha! It'll stand on cripple studs next to the door studs.

All of the walls are being increased in height slightly more as well to allow the inner leaf extra ceiling height. So I've done that today, but it's too dark to take a picture at the mo.

My plan is to add some sheathing tomorrow, so I'll take some pics then.

I'll post a design when I can.

Thanks,
Dan
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
Soundman2020
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Soundman2020 »

The double sole plate is for practical construction reasons. Bolt the sole plate in place first all the way round, then build wall panels in sections on the floor, stand them up on top of the sole plates (drill holes to slot over the bolts) and just nail the bottom rail to the sole plate.
LIke I said, there's nothing wrong with doing it that way, except that it uses more materials than necessary. Many exterior walls are built the way you describe, but with only single sole plates: There's no real need to bolt down a second plate: Just build the wall flat, with the bolt holes already drilled in the sole plate, then either raise the framing into place over the bolts, or don't have bolts in the first place, and drill the holes in the slab after the framing is already standing.

But anyway, it's no big deal. The cost is just a few 2x6's
Yeah above the door I need to put a 150mm sistered double lintel, but I hadn't got that wood yet ha! It'll stand on cripple studs next to the door studs.
:thu:



- Stuart -
Waka
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

Hi all been slowly progressing with the build.

Have realised though that after fitting the cripple studs for the lintel above the exterior door I don't have enough width for much of a door lining. My door needs to be minimum 762mm (30") for a wheelchair and I can just about fit 18mm either side. The lining on it's own is obviously not enough to take the weight of my solid core door plus mdf sheet.

The opening is actually quite square (surprisingly so for a diyer I might say) with less than 5mm wider at the top.
So I was thinking of fixing the lining solidly to the cripple studs and then using long screws in the hinges to screw through both to keep the door secure. Then I'll plane the door down to fit the frame.

How does this sound?
Any other ideas?
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
Waka
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

After checking door measurements again I didn't have enough useable width with double seals etc. So I bit the bullet, cut out part of the wall and rebuilt it and fitted a new lintel. Now I have enough space for my door lining.

I've almost finished the outer door temporarily. It just needs planing slightly shorter. I'm going to add the seals when inner frame is finished and I'll do both together. The plan is to have a door to close to keep the weather out. Then I'm going to start on the sealing and plasterboard layer inside. All studs to be caulked on both sides against the inside of the osb. Then plasterboard will be screwed on to osb between the studs with 5mm gap all around which will be fitted with backerrod then caulked.

Slowly but surely Fen Studio will live!

Waka
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
Waka
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

Ok, I got a day without rain, snow and frost coinciding with a Sunday afternoon so I got the exterior door fitted! Woop woop! (pics to follow). It swings open about 10 degrees but I'm happy to accept that! Door closer should fix that when fitted.

Now I'm going to turn my attention to sealing before the outer leaf second mass layer goes up. I may ask some advice on the studio construction forum if there are any bits I'm not sure about.

Go studio!
Waka
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
Soundman2020
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Soundman2020 »

so I got the exterior door fitted! Woop woop! (pics to follow).
:thu: :yahoo:

That's great! But as the saying goes around here: "Pics! Or it didn0t happen!"... :)
It swings open about 10 degrees
It shouldn't! That means that it is not hung plumb. It should stay wherever you put it. Better chek your mounting: you might need to adjust the hinges a little.

- Stuart -
Waka
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

Soundman2020 wrote:
so I got the exterior door fitted! Woop woop! (pics to follow).
:thu: :yahoo:

That's great! But as the saying goes around here: "Pics! Or it didn0t happen!"... :)
It swings open about 10 degrees
It shouldn't! That means that it is not hung plumb. It should stay wherever you put it. Better chek your mounting: you might need to adjust the hinges a little.

- Stuart -
Here are the pics as promised.

As to the door swinging open I'm not actually sure, as it could be the wind coming through the roof void, as I haven't fixed any fascias or soffits yet.
door closed_crop_412x511.jpg
door open_crop_622x630.jpg
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
Waka
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

Ok so updates.

I was right about the door, it was just the wind coming through the soffit voids, on a windless day the door doesn't swing out or in at all.

I've installed fluffy loft insulation into the ventilated roof space and had it signed off by building control. I've ordered my ventilation fan, ducting and grilles/louvres (I'm going to have to get creative to fit my exterior louvres as they are 245mm square (including flange) to fit my 150mm round ducts and that's a bit deeper than my fascias and soffits. I'm thinking of having a dropped section of the fascia to accommodate the additional depth.
My MDF sheets for the silencers are arriving Monday. Then I can get building the outer leaf ones so they're ready for me to install when I start fixing the outer leaf ceiling OSB layer. (So many tasks are inter connected in studio design, I'm really glad I had my entire design pretty much compete before starting it.)
It's going well. Only a few mistakes so far, and they've not cost me heavily, just a few extra days work rectifying.

Pics to follow when silencers are built (I might take some pics of the build to show inside 8) )

Thanks,
Dan
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
Waka
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

Ok so I've fitted my extraction fan and intake duct in the roof void ready to connect up to my silencers.
The intake filter can be replaced and fan accessed for maintenance and cleaning by a removable piece of fascia next to each exterior louvre.
So the Intake has a filter before the silencer, and extract will have a filter in the ceiling diffuser inside the room to block dust etc. entering the extract silencer and fan.

I've also started building the first silencer box. Woop woop!
fan in roof void.jpg
filter box in roof void-888x522.jpg
filter box from below.jpg
extract weather louvre from outside.jpg
intake weather louvre from outside.jpg
starting silencer a-847x560.jpg
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
Gregwor
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Gregwor »

Take more pics and post more often. We all love seeing progress in detail!

Greg
It appears that you've made the mistake most people do. You started building without consulting this forum.
Waka
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Re: Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK

Post by Waka »

Ok so silencer build pics. Still part through so will add more later.
silencer pieces cut-1156x623.jpg
sides fitted-724x1149.jpg
checking the lid fits-704x1045.jpg
drilling the inlet hole-714x970.jpg
Stay up at night reading books on acoustics and studio design, learn Sketchup, bang your head against a wall, redesign your studio 15 times, curse the gods of HVAC silencers and door seals .... or hire a studio designer.
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